“It’s horrifying that racist and violent mobs are now dictating government policy. By caving in to this far-right intimidation, Epping Forest District Council is setting a precedent that will only embolden the far right,” said Ferris.
“As has been clearly evidenced, these protests are not ‘ordinary people expressing concern’ – they are being whipped up by far-right agitators who thrive on division and hate. Instead of standing up to them, politicians are pandering to them. That’s a betrayal of the values of safety, dignity and fairness that most of us share.”
Refugee and Migrant Forum of Essex and London refugee and asylum manager Erica Wilson said that the group also wants to see the end of hotels used as asylum accommodation.
Wilson called on the government to allow people to work while their asylum claim is being processed to allow them to support themselves as opposed to being housed in hotels using public funds.
“As Epping council themselves acknowledged, for the people housed in this hotel it was more akin to a prison. This was before they were targeted by far-right racists emboldened by politicians who have for years demonised refugees and migrants in an attempt to distract from their own failings,” said Wilson.
“Nobody we work with wants to be housed in these unsafe and unsanitary hotels for years on end. They want to begin rebuilding their lives after fleeing war, famine and persecution. If the government is serious about ending hotel use, they should give people the right to work while their asylum claims are processed and allow them to support themselves and begin establishing themselves in their new communities.”
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The temporary injunction imposed by the High Court on Tuesday will see the Epping District Council return to court later in the year for a final decision.
The Essex local authority argued that planning procedures were not followed when the Home Office took over the hotel to house asylum seekers.
But the decision has opened the door for other councils to take action and some have already said they are considering following Epping’s lead.
Broxbourne Borough Council, run by the Conservatives, has already indicated its intention to take action.
A Broxbourne council statement released after the ruling said it would “now take legal advice as a matter of urgency” over the use of the Delta Marriott Hotel in the Hertfordshire town as a hotel to house asylum seekers.
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“The council has opposed the use of the Delta Marriott for this purpose from the outset but was advised that action was unlikely to be successful at that time,” the statement read.
“The council recently wrote to the government seeking confirmation that they would honour their pledge to end the use of hotels. Broxbourne council’s leader is writing to the Home Office seeking an assurance that no asylum seekers from The Bell Hotel in Epping will be moved to Cheshunt.
“Broxbourne council continues to consider the use of the Delta Marriott for the accommodation of asylum seekers to be inappropriate and will now consider as a priority the best way forward.”
Several Reform-led councils have also signalled to the home secretary Yvette Cooper their intention to seek injunctions.
When will Labour stop using hotels for asylum accommodation?
Labour has vowed to end the use of hotels as asylum accommodation by the end of 2029.
The use of hotels has declined across England between 2023 and 2024 for everywhere except London.
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The proportion of asylum seekers housed in contingency accommodation consisting of mostly hotels rose from 5% at the beginning of 2020 to 47% by 2023 before falling to 37% in 2024, according to the University of Oxford’s Migrant Observatory.
There are around 210 asylum hotels in the UK. The average daily cost of housing an asylum seeker in a hotel is six times more expensive than using other types of accommodation.
Experts said hotels cost the equivalent of £170 per person per night compared to £27 for other types of accommodation.
Costs have fallen over time due to the Home Office closing some hotels, accommodating more people in remaining hotels or implementing room-sharing policies.
Kolbassia Haoussou, director of survivor leadership and influencing at Freedom from Torture said the impact of inappropriate accommodation and intimidation is taking its toll on people living in asylum accommodation.
“No matter who we are or where we come from, we all deserve to live in safety. Every day in our therapy rooms, we see the impact that unsafe and inappropriate accommodation has on those who’ve fled unimaginable horrors like torture and war,” said Haoussou.
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“As a survivor myself, I know all too well how crucial it is to feel secure – it’s the foundation for recovery. The recent scenes of violence and intimidation on Britain’s streets, stirred up by politicians for their own ends, have left the survivors we support feeling hunted once more.
“Many of the men, women, and children in hotels like The Bell Hotel have come here seeking protection after enduring torture in countries like Afghanistan and Iran. This is not who we are as a country. It’s now up to the millions of us who want the UK to remain a place of welcome to stand together with refugees.”
Nazek Ramadan, director of Migrant Voice, added: “Rhetoric by this, and the previous, government have contributed to hostility towards those in hotels, when they could have been investing in community schemes to support everyone.”
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